On May 15–16, 2026, surfing event Stab High, presented by Monster Energy, took over Atlantic Park Surf—the brand-new wave pool in Virginia Beach. This marked the event's return to the U.S. after six years, giving local fans a front-row seat to some of the most exciting, high-flying surfing in the world.

Instead of waiting hours for the ocean to cooperate, the wave pool provided perfect waves on demand, allowing surfers to focus entirely on big punts and tech tricks.

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The Venue: A Perfect Launchpad

Atlantic Park Surf gave fans a stadium-like view of the action. To make things even better, the event organizers worked with wave engineers to create a specific type of wave that acts like a ramp, launching surfers high into the air.

With jets from the nearby naval base flying overhead and a massive crowd on hand, the atmosphere felt more like an action sports festival than a traditional contest.

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The Competitors and Divisions

With $60,000 in prize money on the line, 56 of the world's best free-surfers gathered to compete. The tournament was split into four main divisions to showcase different groups of talent:

• Pro Men: Featured top international names like Mikey Wright, Mason Ho, and Hughie Vaughan, alongside local Virginia Beach standouts Blayr Barton and Story Martinez.

• Vans Pro Women: Highlighted the top women pushing the limits of the sport.

• Vans Ladybirds (Girls 15 and under): Featured young prodigies, including two-time Olympic gold medalist Sky Brown.

• Bottle Rockets presented by YETI (Boys 15 and under): A division for the youngest male competitors.

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How It Was Judged

The judging panel—which included surfing legend Nathan Fletcher—wasn't looking for basic, safe surfing. Instead, they rewarded competitors based on how high they flew, how difficult their tricks were, and how cleanly they landed.

While everyone wanted to win their specific division, the crowd was especially excited for the Monster Air award. This special prize went to the single person who executed the highest, most impressive jump of the entire weekend.

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Official Results & History-Making Scores

The weekend concluded with an incredible performance by Australia's Hughie Vaughan, who made history by scoring the first-ever perfect 50 in Stab High history.

Here is the final breakdown of the division winners and top scores:

Division	Winner	Winning Notes / Score
Pro Men’s	Hughie Vaughan	Won the final with a massive 49-point ride.
Vans Pro Women’s	Sky Brown	The Olympic medalist took the top spot with incredible air control.
Monster Air Champion	Hughie Vaughan	Swept the weekend by landing a historic, perfect 50-point score for the single best trick.
YETI Bottle Rockets (U15 Boys)	King Nicol	Dominated the youth division with technical mid-air rotations.
Vans Ladybirds (U15 Girls)	Isla Hardy	Claimed the title with highly precise and clean landings.

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A Big Win for Virginia Beach

From teenagers attempting complex mid-air rotations to seasoned pros landing historic jumps right in front of the crowd, the event showed how wave pools are changing the sport of surfing. It allowed athletes to try difficult maneuvers they might never attempt in the unpredictable ocean.

If you missed the live action in Virginia Beach, you can watch the full replay on the Stab Premium App.